Finland: Santa Claus' Mystical Home?(b)

Where is Santa Claus from? If you're from Finland, the answer is simpleovaniemi in the province of Lapland. The city is in the Arctic Circle, a place where the temperature rarely gets above 20 degrees Celsius during the hottest part of the summer. In the cold winter months, temperatures often fall to minus 15 degrees Celsius or even colder. In January of 1999, the town recorded a temperature of minus 47 degrees Celsius.

Rovaniemi is where Finnish people claim Father Christmas makes his home. It is also the location of his workshop where elves make Christmas toys for all the good children around the world. Finland's nearby neighbor Norway also claims to be the home of Santa Claus, but if you visit Rovaniemi, you'll actually be able to see where he works.

At an amusement park in Rovaniemi called Santa Claus Village, you'll find a delightful Christmas environment with all the bells and whistles you'd expect. This includes shiny Christmas lights, Christmas trees, Christmas displays, and ornaments, plus little wooden cabins with roofs covered in white Christmas snow. What's more, the theme park is also home to Santa Claus Main Post Office where you can get your letters stamped with an official Santa Claus postmark. You can also stop by Santa Claus' office and take photos and chat with the man himself.

Our rational brains might tell us that Santa Claus is just a story. Even so, as you walk into Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, you might find yourself wondering, perhaps only for one short magical moment, if the story just might be true.

    1.     What awaits visitors at the top of Ukko-Koli Hill?

(A) Santa Claus' workshop.

(B) Beluga whales and wolverines.

(C) Unforgettable views.

(D) The most beautiful beach in Finland.

    2.     According to the article, what is NOT found in Finland's national parks?

(A) A few luxury hotels.

(B) A variety of wild animals.

(C) Frozen areas that look like another planet.

(D) A store where people can buy Christmas trinkets.

    3.     Where is Rovaniemi located?

(A) On the Tropic of Capricorn.

(B) Along the Antarctic Circle.

(C) Near the Circle of Life.

(D) Inside the Arctic Circle.

    4.     What is the meaning of the final paragraph?

(A) Santa Claus Village might cause tourists to believe in the story of Santa.

(B) Kids most likely would not have a good time in Rovaniemi.

(C) Santa Claus is just a fictional character.

(D) People celebrate Christmas differently now.

圣诞老公公是哪里人呢?如果你来自芬兰，这个问题很简单──他来自拉布兰省的罗瓦涅米。该城市位于北极圈境内，一个在盛夏时分气温也鲜少高于摄氏 20 度以上的地方。在寒冷的冬季月份，气温时常降至摄氏零下15 度甚至更冷。1999年的 1 月，镇上更出现过达到摄氏零下 47 度的气温。

罗瓦涅米就是芬兰人民声称圣诞老人的家。这里也是他的工作坊和小精灵制造圣诞玩具给全世界所有乖小孩的地方。芬兰的近邻挪威也号称是圣诞老人的家乡，不过若你造访罗瓦涅米，你就能真正见识到圣诞老公公工作的场所。

在罗瓦涅米一座称为圣诞老人村的游乐场里，你会发现如你所期待令人愉悦的圣诞场景。这包含闪耀的圣诞灯、圣诞树、圣诞展览品和装饰品，还有屋顶满是白雪的小木屋。此外，这座主题乐园也是圣诞老人邮政总局的所在地，你可以在那儿为信件盖上圣诞老人的官方邮戳。你还能顺道拜访圣诞老人的办公室，拍几张照片并和他本人聊天。

理智的头脑可能会告诉我们圣诞老人只不过是一个故事。即便如此，当你踏入罗瓦涅米的圣诞老人村时，也许有那么一个短暂的奇妙时刻会让你觉得这个故事说不定是真的。

答案：  1.  C   2.  D   3.  D   4.  A

圣诞老人此一神秘人物带给小孩子们礼物的概念衍生自圣尼古拉斯（Saint Nicholas）。尼古拉是一位 4 世纪生活在小亚细亚的好心主教，荷兰人在圣尼古拉斯节（12月 6 日）便会模仿他送礼物。

在北美洲，荷兰和英国殖民者把这一传统融入圣诞节日的庆祝里，荷兰语的圣尼古拉（Sinterklaas）传进英语成为 Santa Claus 也就相应的成为圣诞老人了。在英籍美国人的传统中，圣诞老人总是快活地在圣诞夜乘着驯鹿拉的雪橇到来，他从烟囱爬进屋内，留下给孩子们的礼物，并吃掉孩子们为他留下的食物。他在一年中的其他时间，都是忙于制作礼物和监督孩子们的行为。

（数据源：维基百科）